Unable to grind concrete?

My 3-year old son is allergic to dust mites, and our carpet is dirty and old. Therefore, my husband and I decided to change the carpet in bedrooms to engineered wood floor (we live in Florida and were told that solid wood is not an option in Florida).

We purchased the floor and installation from Home Depot. Monday morning, the HD contractor came. They removed the carpet in three bedrooms, then told me us that

1. One of the kids room is in perfect condition, ready for wood floor installation
2. The other kids room has one hump (about 0.75 inch high) on the concrete
3. The master's bedroom has 2 humps of 0.5 inch high.

They said that their grinding machine is unable to grind down the concrete, because it is too hard. They also told me that since their machine is not grinding down the floor, no one else will.

Home Depot Flooring department now asked us to go back to carpet, which does not solve my son's allergy problem. Even worse, it is going to take more than 3 weeks.

Is it true that some concrete floor is too hard to grind, or is it the problem of the Home Depot contractor?

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Unable to grind concrete?

Hi Joecaption,

Thanks for your timely response.

Could you please recommend some flooring store to us?

Thanks!

P.S. We went to HD instead of individual contractor because we thought that if we ever need warranty, HD will honor it; and individual contractor may go out of business / retire. However, we learned a lesson now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joecaption

Box stores do not have installers on staff. They hire whoever they can find as sub contractors.
Give a call to a real flooring store and have them come take a look.

Unable to grind concrete?

"My 3-year old son is allergic to dust mites, and our carpet is dirty and old. Therefore, my husband and I decided to change the carpet in bedrooms to engineered wood floor (we live in Florida and were told that solid wood is not an option in Florida)."

Who ever told you hard wood flooring can't be installed in Florida doesn't know what he's talking about,i personally know a half dozen or so people who have hardwood flooring in their homes.

As joecaption reccomended,go to a real flooring store and i'm sure they can solve your minor problem.

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Unable to grind concrete?

Hi Canarywood1, I was told that I can only install engineered wood, but not solid wood by Home Depot.

We will try to find a flooring store as you and joecaption suggested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canarywood1

"My 3-year old son is allergic to dust mites, and our carpet is dirty and old. Therefore, my husband and I decided to change the carpet in bedrooms to engineered wood floor (we live in Florida and were told that solid wood is not an option in Florida)."

Who ever told you hard wood flooring can't be installed in Florida doesn't know what he's talking about,i personally know a half dozen or so people who have hardwood flooring in their homes.

As joecaption reccomended,go to a real flooring store and i'm sure they can solve your minor problem.

Unable to grind concrete?

Go on line and pick any real wood floor and check the install directions.

Real wood flooring can not just be glued down and on a slab there would be nothing to nail it to.

They been installing it for 25 years that i know about!

Jason Cupps Installer 3/12/2012 2:55:40 PM
Wow, talk about being all over the map. Quite a range of opinions between nail-down country installers to those from slab areas. After all, it is about perspective and knowledge of current technology. Keeping in mind that the US is one of the very few countries in the world that actually nails down wood flooring. Most of Europe, east and west, lives in and on concrete. Those folks glue millions of feet of wood flooring to concrete a year, and some floating of course, but mostly glueing. Most of those installers have never heard of a wood floor nailer. This does not mean "you" have to glue a floor to concrete or gypcrete. But it also does not mean you cannot just because "you" think it should not be done. There are products available that allow and guarantee such a procedure in the US as it does worldwide. It is really not that complicated. It does require some investigation and understanding of the physics. There is always moisture in concrete, no matter what the age. The issue involves the source of the moisture "vapor" and then stopping the transmission of same. Keep an open mind. Mike Hodges product manager 3/12/2012 3:19:34 PM

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Unable to grind concrete?

We are asked the contractor if it is an option. He told us that the hump is too high to be finished. What's more, if the concrete is re-finished, it takes 3 weeks to dry, before which the wood flooring can not be installed. I guess we will have to continue sleeping in the living room for a month, and have no Christmas tree this year.

Basically, he told us that there is NO other way, except to go with carpet AGAIN.

We live in a community with more than 700 houses from the same builder, and the houses were built 2003-2005. I was wondering why my neighbors were able to install the engineered floor with no trouble.

Unable to grind concrete?

They used a grinder themselves, and told us that they were unable to grind down the floor.

Following Joecaption's suggestion, we brought in a concrete repair contractor, and contacted a most reputable floor installation contractor from Angie's list.

The concrete repair contractor told us that the 'hump' is not a hump; instead, the corner of the room should be filled. The flooring contractor on Angie's list said that he can come and give us an estimate as well.

I will talk with HD people and find whether I should proceed with them.